Inverters

Inverters For Sale in South Africa

For almost a century, The Toshiba Group has led the electric equipment industry by supplying the world’s energy market with high-quality, cutting-edge, and eco-friendly products and services. Our involvement in power production projects in Sub-Saharan Africa dates back to the 1960s, and we have been providing ongoing service to the region’s diverse power networks ever since.

Experience the pinnacle of intelligent energy management with our inverter systems for sale, which modify output based on your specific needs to cut down on waste and maximise efficiency. Our flexible inverters allow you to get the most out of your energy supply in any setting, be it a home, business, or factory. Alternatively, we also offer solar systems for sale.

 

What is an Inverter?

One of the most crucial components of any solar power setup is the inverter. The electricity produced by solar panels must be changed from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) before it can be used by the electrical grid. DC power supplies have a uniform voltage in only one direction. Since the voltage in an AC circuit alternates between positive and negative states, electricity can flow in either direction. Inverters are simply one type of power electronics devices that control the flow of electricity.

In essence, an inverter performs the DC-to-AC conversion by rapidly altering the input’s direction. This results in an AC output when a DC input is used. A voltage that varies as a clean, repeating sine wave can be generated and injected into the power grid using filters and other electrical components. Electrical equipment is designed to function at specific frequencies and voltages, and the sine wave is the form or pattern the voltage generates over time that the grid can use without hurting it.

Inverters have come a long way since their mechanical inception in the 19th century. For example, a rotating motor could be used to alternate between forward and reverse connections for the DC supply. These days, we don’t need any moving parts in our electrical switches because we use transistors. Semiconductor materials, such as silicon or gallium arsenide, are used to create transistors. They regulate current in response to electrical signals from the outside world.

 

Can an Inverter Generate Different Waveforms?

Inverters are classified based on the waveforms they generate. Pure sine, modified sine, and square waves are the three main categories of waves. Power from a square wave generator is the cheapest but also of the lowest quality. The improved power output of modified waves makes them the favoured option. These work well with regular home electronics and appliances.

An ideal inverter waveform would be a pure sine wave. It is expensive, yet it is widely utilised in things like high-end audio equipment, laser printers, and even medical machines. They’re also used in grid-connected devices like inverters.

 

Types of Inverters for Your Solar Energy System

Many different kinds of inverters can be used with solar panels. Each solar panel could be wired to a single central inverter in a massive utility plant or a moderate-sized community solar project. A string of solar panels can be wired to a single inverter using a string inverter. That inverter transforms DC power from the entire string into AC form. While inexpensive, this design has the disadvantage of reducing power output on the string if even one panel has problems like shading.

Microinverters are little inverters installed at each solar array’s node. However, microinverters are more expensive and can’t compensate for the loss of output from a single shaded or damaged panel. Both kinds of inverters could benefit from a system that regulates the connection between the solar array and the batteries. Both direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) can be used to charge the battery from the sun.

 

Which Inverter Size Is Ideal for a Household energy System?

When looking to purchase an inverter, you should ask yourself: what is the highest load that my inverter can support? Then calculate what the typical load is that your inverter will have to power?

Home inverter systems should use modern inverters with a capacity larger than the peak load. If you try to operate an inverter with a load larger than its rated load, it could be damaged.

If the load exceeds the inverter’s capability, the device will either shut down or get damaged. Not all inverters are designed to operate nonstop. Their continuous rating may be lower than their rated peak load.

 

Inverter Installation Options

Grid-tied Inverters

Grid-tied inverters are power utility-connected. The grid powers them. Grid-tied inverters lower our power usage and off-peak energy utilisation.

In a power outage, your grid-tied inverter turns off. It doesn’t help during load shedding, as you will need a generator or a battery backup system.

We suggest assessing your electricity usage. How much do you use daily? Ideal reporting would include consumption broken out by time of day, day of week, and peak usage periods. It’ll show you which inverter is ideal for you.

Grid-tied systems are not recommended for home use in South Africa. Daytime consumption is lower in most South African houses. Grid-connected inverters don’t store electricity.  They are however cheaper than off-grid and hybrid inverters.

 

Off-grid Inverters

Off-grid inverters operate autonomously. They power battery inverter systems.

Off-grid inverters maintain loads in bad weather and they satisfy nighttime consumption. An inverter home back-up system works well without utility power.

Off-grid solutions are ideal for low-power demand. They cost more per KW than grid-tied inverters. Longer runtimes require more storage, which raises prices.

You can depend on them to keep your battery bank stocked and to service your solar panels. These inverters are more expensive but the best option if you require supplemental power while the mains power is down (such as during load shedding).

 

Hybrid Inverter

The typical home would benefit greatly from a hybrid inverter. Users interested in a solar and battery backup that doesn’t require them to go fully off the grid will find a hybrid inverter to be an ideal solution.

It provides a backup power source in the event of a blackout or power outage and connects to the grid under normal conditions.

 

The Toshiba Inverter Solution

The engineering, analysis, and design services we provide for power systems are always cutting edge and comprehensive. We pledge to be the industry’s preeminent provider of comprehensive services in order to cater to our clients’ wide range of requirements. To learn more about Toshiba Africa’s power system engineering services and equipment options, call 011 305 2820.